Ask HN: I'm a 24-year-old Postgres internals hacker – would love your wisdom

Hey HN,

I'm 24 and have been diving into Postgres internals and learning about other database systems since I was 21. I'm deeply fascinated by systems programming and database architecture — especially how things work under the hood.

I'm trying to shape a long-term career in this space, and I'd really appreciate hearing from folks with more experience. A few questions I’ve been reflecting on:

1)What are some things you wish you had done earlier in your journey?

2)What are some things you wish you hadn’t spent time earlier on?

3)What keeps you motivated or helps you push through when you’re stuck or feeling low?

Any advice, reflections, or stories would mean a lot. Thanks in advance!